iQOO 15 Review: Flagship Performance, Few Flaws

I’ve been dailying the new iQOO 15 for over a month now. And while the OnePlus 15 was busy grabbing all the headlines (for all the reasons), I feel like this guy never even got a proper chance to shine. Not saying the iQOO 15 is flawless or anything. Actually, I think iQOO has made one giant mistake this time, which I’ll get into at the end. But this is one of the most improved phones I’ve tested this year, which is something that seems to be lost on some phone makers lately. Let's know everything in my iQOO 15 review.

iQOO 15 Specifications

• Design & Build: 163.7 x 76.8 x 8.1 mm, 215–220 g, dual Nano-SIM, IP68/IP69, color-changing rear panel
• Display: 6.85-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 1440 x 3168 pixels
• Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm), Octa-core CPU, Adreno 840 GPU
• Memory: 256GB/512GB/1TB storage, 12GB/16GB RAM, UFS 4.1, no card slot
• Software & UI: Android 16, OriginOS 6 (China)
• Rear Camera: Triple 50 MP (wide), 50 MP (periscope telephoto, 3x zoom), 50 MP (ultrawide), 8K video
• Front Camera: 32 MP wide, HDR, 4K@30/60fps video
• Security: Under-display ultrasonic fingerprint
• Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, USB-C 3.2, infrared
• Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
• Battery: 7000 mAh, 100W wired, 40W wireless charging
• Price in Nepal (Expected): NPR 129,999 (12/256GB)

iQOO 15 Review

Design and Build Quality

I wanna start with the design side of things.

Although the iQOO 15 doesn’t look all too different from last year’s iQOO 13, there are a couple of subtle changes that genuinely improve the experience. The RGB light strip now sits around the camera ring instead of on top of it, giving it a more subtle look. This change also has a real-world benefit, since I can easily spot notifications even when the phone is face down on a table.

I still wish the light would stay on for longer, but it’s very cool. Dedicated notification lights used to be standard on phones, and I still miss the color-coded LED on the OnePlus One.

The frame now has a matte finish instead of glossy, which feels much better in the hand. The flat frosted glass back provides a smoother grip, though it can feel a bit slippery. Thankfully, iQOO includes a premium soft silicone case instead of the usual cheap transparent one.

Button feedback is excellent, and you also get features like an infrared sensor, USB 3.2 for fast data transfer, and IP68/69 water and dust resistance. While it lacks IP69K certification and Gorilla Glass Victus like the OnePlus 15, durability hasn’t been a concern in real-world use.

Display

This is where iQOO clearly didn’t cut any corners.

Yes, the bottom bezel is slightly uneven, and you still get Schott Xensation glass instead of Victus. But beyond that, the iQOO 15’s display is so freakin’ good that it’s easily my favorite thing about the phone. Even a friend using an iPhone 17 Pro Max was impressed enough to start asking questions about the display.

The secret here is Samsung. iQOO switched from BOE to Samsung’s new M14 OLED panel, which is the same panel expected on the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra. That alone should tell you everything you need to know.

You get 2,600 nits of full-screen brightness and up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness, which is just ridiculous. Outdoor visibility and HDR performance are outstanding. This is also the first iQOO phone to support Dolby Vision.

The ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is fast, touch response is excellent, and everything looks incredibly sharp. While it lacks a dedicated anti-reflective coating, the pre-applied screen protector helps reduce glare significantly. Haptics are tight and precise, and the stereo speakers sound rich and detailed once you switch the audio preset from “Smart” to “Music”.

Performance and Gaming

As expected, the iQOO 15 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. It’s paired with ultra-fast memory, storage, iQOO’s custom Q3 graphics chip, and a massive 8,000 mm² vapor chamber.

Fun fact: this vapor chamber is nearly 40% larger than the one inside the OnePlus 15. In gaming tests, the iQOO 15 consistently ran 1 to 2°C cooler.

That said, the OnePlus 15 still has a gaming edge. It supports 165 fps in more games and even in some everyday apps. The iQOO 15 mainly takes full advantage of its 144Hz display in titles like BGMI and Mobile Legends. So while the iQOO 15 is an excellent performer, the OnePlus 15 still earns the gaming crown.

Software Experience

There’s a lot to like on the software side this year.

iQOO now promises 5 years of Android updates and 7 years of security patches, which actually beats OnePlus. OriginOS 6 is easily the most improved Android UI of the year, with redesigned visuals, new animations, and a more modern look.

Features like stacked notifications, Private Space, lockscreen customization, and the Dynamic Island-style multitasking make everyday use more convenient. Memory management is also excellent and on par with the OnePlus 15.

However, the experience still isn’t completely clean. Bloatware apps and unnecessary recommendations from Vivo’s app store cheapen what would otherwise be a solid A-tier software experience.

Battery and Charging

The iQOO 15 packs a massive 7,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery. However, battery life isn’t quite as impressive as expected. The best screen-on time I managed was around 9.5 hours, while the OnePlus 15 reached up to 12 hours with its 7,300 mAh battery.

Charging speed has been downgraded from 120W to 100W, although wireless charging has finally been added for the first time in the iQOO series. iQOO also continues to include a USB-PD charger, which is great for charging other devices.

Camera

The camera setup is heavily inspired by Vivo’s flagship phones and is nearly identical to the Vivo X200, minus Zeiss optimizations and slightly narrower lenses.

Daytime

Compared to the OnePlus 15, the iQOO 15 delivers far more consistent daytime photos across all three lenses. Dynamic range is excellent, colors look natural in the “Natural” preset, and fine details are preserved better than on the OnePlus, which often over-processes images.

There are flaws, though. Exposure can occasionally miss, the OnePlus has better ultrawide detail in some shots, and zoom beyond 3x on the iQOO looks overly digital.

Portraits

Portraits are mostly impressive, though iQOO tends to smooth faces too much, while OnePlus struggles with contrast and color. 

Selfies aren’t perfect, but still preferable to the reddish tint on the OnePlus.

Videos

Video performance is another strong point for the iQOO 15, especially stabilization and exposure control. While color tuning could be more natural and features like 4K 120 fps are missing, overall video quality is clearly better than that of the OnePlus 15.

iQOO 15 Review: Conclusion

The iQOO 15 is a genuinely underrated flagship. It offers an excellent design, a best-in-class display, superb performance, strong cameras, and solid battery life. The main reason it’s flying under the radar is pricing.

Starting at ₹73,000 in India (NPR 116,851), it costs the same as the OnePlus 15, which is unusual for iQOO. This price jump makes it harder to recommend outright, especially given iQOO’s traditionally aggressive pricing strategy. But sadly, this device won't launch in Nepal as every other iQOO phone.

Still, the answer to whether you should buy the iQOO 15 over the OnePlus 15 is yes. Not an easy yes, but a confident one if you value display quality and camera consistency above everything else. OnePlus may have stumbled this generation, and iQOO took full advantage of that opening.

As they say in cricket: you miss, I hit.

iQOO 15 Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Premium design with color-changing rear panel
• Stunning LTPO AMOLED display
• Flagship performance
• Strong camera

Cons

• Software is not that clean
• A bit overpriced